The Morning After: Our first impressions of the Xbox Series X
The Xbox Series X is here, Dell's XPS line got an update and there's a foldable PC.
We’re still not sure if foldable phones are a real improvement over existing tech, but Lenovo is already pushing forward with a foldable PC. It’s different from your average laptop or 2-in-1 because the Thinkpad X1 Fold wraps around a 13.3-inch flexible OLED that folds up like a book.
The pitch is that this represents a “new personal computing category,” but it does have an optional Bluetooth keyboard accessory that pops in to make it seem more like a traditional laptop. It could take a few weeks before the first devices actually arrive, but there’s enough progress for Lenovo to open up pre-orders starting at a price of $2,499. Who’s diving in?
— Richard
Xbox Series X first look
Dive deep into quick resume and faster load times in backward compatible games.
There’s still a lot of time to go before the next-gen consoles launch, and while we have an Xbox Series X in for testing, we can’t yet dive into the full experience with games built specifically for it. However, right now Jessica Conditt can dive into its performance using backwards compatibility to run older games, and the Fast Resume feature that shuffles between multiple titles seamlessly. The key words so far? Fast, powerful and quiet.
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Apple Watch SE review
The perfect smartwatch for a newbie?
The Apple Watch SE, at $279 packs plenty of modern smartwatch features into a compact, low-profile package. It’s not the prettiest watch, and its sleep-tracking reports aren’t as insightful as the competition. But for the price, the Watch SE is an excellent starter smartwatch for newcomers — offering plenty more than the even-cheaper Series 3.
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A Redditor got Stadia to run on an iPhone
It works in a browser app you can download from the App Store.
Although Apple is finally letting game streaming run on iPhone and iPad, you can’t officially use Stadia, xCloud or GeForce Now on those devices yet. However, members of the Stadia subreddit have been hard at work. Zachary Knox (aka u/zmknox) has created what’s probably the easiest-to-use method yet.
First, you’ll need a free browser app called Stadium, which you can download directly from the App Store. Once you enter a few settings and authenticate with your Google account, the app brings up the Stadia landing page whenever you open it. It’ll do for now — if it keeps working.
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Dell rolls out updated 13-inch XPS laptops with 11th-gen Intel CPUs
The XPS 13 starts at $999, while a 2-in-1 starts at $1,249.
The refreshed XPS 13 2-in-1, XPS 13 and XPS 13 Developer Edition are the first Dell laptops to receive Intel’s Evo certification. That means they support fast charging, can run for at least nine hours on a single charge and wake from sleep in under a second.
All three systems have Thunderbolt 4 ports and memory upgrades from 3733MHz LPDDR4x to 4267MHz, with support for up to 32GB of RAM. The updated XPS 13 2-in-1 and XPS 13 offer Intel Xe graphics as well. On top of that, the 2-in-1 has an IR camera that supports Windows Hello and more design options. There’s no price listed yet for the Linux-equipped Developer Edition, but most of these devices will go on sale September 30th.
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Roku’s new sound bar, Ultra streaming player and software updates
Dolby Vision and AirPlay are among the upgrades on the way.
Roku has a reputation for delivering well-equipped streaming devices on a budget, and that’s not going away this fall. The company’s latest hardware updates include a new Ultra set-top box that features a new processor, more RAM, better WiFi antennas and is finally ready to handle Dolby Vision HDR. All of that makes the $100 streaming box easier to recommend against competition like the Fire TV 4K or Apple TV 4K, which already included Dolby Vision.
Of course, if you also need a speaker, you can get basically the same thing all-in-one with the new $129 Streambar. It’s smaller than the $180 Roku Smart Soundbar, but it can still pair with additional satellite speakers for a true surround-sound experience. If you already have a Roku player or TV, then just keep an eye out for the 9.4 OS update that will bring AirPlay 2 and Homekit support later this year.
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But wait, there’s more...
NASA schedules the first Crew Dragon operational flight for Halloween
Lenovo's 2-pound Thinkpad X1 Nano features Intel's latest processors
‘FarmVille’ is shutting down for good on December 31st
Suspected ransomware attack hits one of the largest hospital networks in the US
Android 12 will make it easier to install apps from third-party stores
TCL rolls out new Roku Ready Alto sound bars with Dolby Atmos
Hyundai's new studio hopes to develop a 'transformer-class' vehicle
'Yakuza: Like a Dragon' will be available on November 10th across platforms
